KUDOS TO KHARMS

At last! I'm able to work a little bit again. Babe and I are healthy and happy, and now that my baby is sleeping and napping more consistently, we're even healthier and happier! For the last two months I haven't been able to work on pieces about U.S. Feminism in the post-Trump world, but I have been able to do some sketching. Sometimes the best drawings come from unexpected places, and lately the most fun ones have been coming from Daniil Kharms.

"Fedya Davydovich"

I love reading. Usually I go to the library for a book, but now that I've got a baby, I know that two weeks plus a renewal isn't going to cut it; if I got that route, I'm going to rack up some massive fines. Instead, I've been looking at my bookshelf at home where I've got a smattering of Russian literature, including books from the Soviet era (my favorite era for literature for a lot of reasons). One thing I especially love about writing from that period is that it's absurd in the truest meaning of the word.

"Falling-Out Old Women"

A few weeks ago I spotted The Man With the Black Coat: Russia's Literature of the Absurd by Daniil Kharms and Alexander Vvendensky on my shelf, a book of short stories which I hadn't finished yet. I've been re-reading it, and this go 'round I've been sketching as I read. Daniil Kharms' stories are perfect for illustration because of his clear imagery. It's fun to draw because the images are unique and extremely weird with great dark humor. I don't know if they'll turn into anything more, but I might have stumbled onto my next big project!

"The Old Woman"